Planning Officer Report

Case Officer: Mr Jamie Leadbeater Photo Taken: 09.12.2011 Site Visit: 09.12.2011 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation

Officer's Report

The Application Site

1. The application site comprises the residential curtilage of, and land adjoining, a detached dwelling located off Church Road in Lonan known as Moaney Woods Farmhouse. The farmhouse is accessed by a public right-of-way called Croit-E-Quill Road, which takes the form of an unsurfaced track. Croit-E-Quill Road is accessed by either Church Road to the southwest or an extension of Croit-E-Quill Road to the north-east of the application site.

1. Church Road is part of the road system running from the A2 coastal road through to the Creg-Ny-Baa where as Croit-E-Quill extension road is very narrow in nature. The application site is located approximately 200 metres along the public right-of-way from Church Road and slightly further from the Croit-E-Quill Road extension.

1. The application site is set approximately 30 metres off the public right-of-way to the south, and is surrounded by predominantly agricultural land. Dense coniferous trees rise above the tallest point of the farmhouse, parallel to the public right-of-way, on the south, south-eastern curtilage boundary. Deciduous trees line the north-western and north-eastern curtilage boundaries of the application site. A separate office building is located on the eastern curtilage boundary of the application site, where as a low level hedge runs along the western curtilage boundary.

The Proposal

1. The proposal entails the installation of 2 solar panels to a flat roof section of a residential dwelling. Each solar panel is sized 1210mm by 2270mm and is set at a 30 degree pitch from the surface of the roof, facing south south-east. The solar panels will be fixed to timber battens, which will be set into fibreglass roof structure.

Planning History

1. Whilst the application site has been the subject of previous planning applications it is considered that none of these are specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application.

Planning Policy

Application No.:	11/01626/B
Applicant:	Mr Rodney William Leonard
Proposal:	Installation of solar panels
Site Address:	Moaney Woods Farm Lonan Church Road Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7JX

1. The application site is recognised as open space in the Laxey and Lonan Area Plan (adopted 2005). There are no policies within the written statement that accompanies the local plan, which are considered specifically material to the assessment of the planning application.

1. The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 contains the following policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current application.

Environment Policy 1 states: 'The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. For the purposes of this policy, the countryside comprises all land which is outside the settlements defined in Appendix 3 at A.3.6 or which is not designated for future development on an Area Plan. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an over-riding national need in land use planning terms which outweighs the requirement to protect these areas and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative'.

Housing Policy 16 states: 'The extension of non-traditional dwellings or those of poor or inappropriate form will not generally be permitted where this would increase the impact of the building as viewed by the public'.

Energy Policy 4 states: 'Development involving alternative sources of energy supply, including wind, water and tide power, and the use of solar panels, will be judged against the environmental objectives and policies set out in this plan'.

Representations

1. Occupants of Glebe Cottage, Kirk Maughold, have expressed their dissatisfaction in the current appearance of the application site. They also query the accuracy of the submitted drawings. Whilst concerns have been raised regarding the proposal site, the occupant has failed to raise any comments that can be considered material to the assessment of the proposal.

1. Lonan Parish Commissioners recommend that the application be approved.

1. Occupant of South Grawe, Laxey, has expressed an interest in the application.

Assessment

1. The erection of the solar panels at the proposed angle is likely to ensure that they are not visible from a southern or eastern direction, due to the coniferous trees blocking the visibility of the farmhouse from the south and the height of the adjoining pitched roof to the east. The greatest concern therefore, is the visual impact on the surrounding rural landscapes from northern and western elevations.

1. The application site is not readily visible from Church Road to the west, due to the raised land level between the road and the application site. The farmhouse building, and more specifically the flat roof, does not become prominent on the landscape until approximately 100 metres down the public right-of-way from Church Road, and as such, should be considered to soften the visual impact of the proposal on the surrounding landscape.

1. The scale of the solar panels, taking into account its requirements to function effectively, appears to be of an appropriate proportion to the size of the flat roof in terms of surface area.

1. The flat roof in which the proposed solar panels are to be erected on, lies approximately 30 meters south-west of the public right-of-way. The view of the flat roof is largely disguised by predominantly deciduous trees located along the north-western and north-eastern curtilage of the site in the winter. In the spring and summer therefore, when the trees retain their leaves,

the views of the flat roof is likely to be even less. As such, it is considered the installation of the solar panels will have little visual impact on the landscape when south-facing.

1. In summary, the proposal is not considered to have a significant detrimental appearance on the landscape of the surrounding countryside, and will also provide a sustainable source of electricity, should the solar panels function to their full potential, and as such complies with the essence of the following policies in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007: Environment Policy 1, Housing Policy 16, and Energy Policy 4.

1. The proposal is not considered to affect any other obvious material planning consideration.

Recommendation

1. It is recommended that the planning application be approved.

Party Status

1. It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should be afforded interested party status:

The local authority, Lonan Parish Commissioners are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.

Occupant of South Crawe, Laxey, is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2006, paragraph 2 (1) (a), considered an 'interested person' and should be afforded party status.

1. It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should not be afforded interested party status:

Residents of Glebe Cottage, Kirk Maughold.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Date of Recommendation:

Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal

• : Notes attached to refusals

C 1.

The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

C 2.

This approval relates to the erection of 2 no. solar panels shown in drawing reference 11087801 received on 24 November 2011.

I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control / Development Control Manager/ Senior Planning Officer.

Decision Made : Date : 3 January 2012

Determining officer (delete as appropriate)

Signed : ... Anthony Holmes Senior Planning Officer

Signed : ... Michael Gallagher Director of Planning and Building Control

Signed : ... Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer

Signed : ... Jennifer Chance Development Control Manager